A New Purpose
by rmlohner
Summary: Yellow and Blue Pearl are left to respond in their own way to the news about Pink Diamond.
1. Chapter 1

Yellow Pearl was in a state of panic as she emerged from her gem. Her last memory was the ship being thrown onto the ground by the traitorous Cluster, and it had taken all her willpower not to rush her reformation. After all, it would hardly do to be stuck in a displeasing form. As she looked around, the ship bore signs of its recent battle all over, looking like it hadn't even been touched. Maybe she wasn't too late after all.

That hope faded as she reached a gaping hole in the side and saw daylight pouring in. From what little she understood of this planet's daily cycle, this must mean that hours had passed, and anything could have happened. She suffered the short drop to the ground with as much dignity as possible, and called out, "My Diamond? Hello?"

Another form stirred at the sound, but it was only her counterpart with Blue Diamond. Yellow Pearl had never much cared for her; true, her devotion was unquestionable but she also had never seemed to show any inclination toward being proactive in her duties, sticking purely to what she was told. For now, Blue Pearl just said, "Yellow Diamond is gone too, then?"

"Something is very wrong here. There's no doubt our Diamonds were victorious, but then where are they?" Taking a longer look around, she spotted the structure that Rose Quartz and her army had been holed up in at their arrival. "That seems to be the best place to start."

As they approached the house, they were surprised to see the Crystal Gem Bismuth repairing its front face. She was absorbed enough in the work to not notice them until they were just feet away, and Yellow Pearl cleared her throat.

Bismuth's head snapped to the side, and she gave a startled yelp and actually jumped around to face them, taking up a fighting stance. "You here for a rematch or something?"

Blue Pearl gasped and cowered behind Yellow Pearl, who just sighed. "As if we'd ever debase ourselves in such a way. Our job is to broadcast the dignity of the gems we are sworn to, not that a lowly gem like you could ever understand. We're just looking for our Diamonds, so if you could point the way, we'll be going."

Bismuth at first seemed about to fire an insult right back, but then bit down on whatever it was. "You mean…oh, that just figures!" And then she just laughed.

After a few seconds, Yellow Pearl replied, "If you wouldn't mind letting us in on the joke."

Bismuth quickly petered out. "Oh, well, I guess it's really not that funny for you. The Diamonds left for Homeworld."

Both Pearls were aghast at this, and Blue Pearl finally spoke up. "They wouldn't. Just leaving us here goes against the entire meaning of our existence."

Bismuth was now looking at them with quite a bit more sympathy. "It's a pretty long story. But you should know, they didn't even mention you once before they left. It's like they didn't spare a single thought for you. So maybe you should rethink just how loyal you should be to them."

Yellow Pearl scoffed. "This is all just some trick to turn us to your side, isn't it? Well, it won't work! Our loyalty is absolute."

Bismuth rolled her eyes. "Whatever you want to think, I won't force you otherwise. But the fact is, you're stuck here for now. And I guess it'd be nice to have someone to talk to while I wait for those other two to come back, so you're welcome to stay here. It would be less awkward than you just walking around town after what just happened, too."

Yellow Pearl was about to refute this when Blue Pearl put a hand on her shoulder. "It does seem to be the best thing for now."

She shrugged. "All right, I guess we'll do it for now. And to start passing the time, just what is this long story?"


	2. Chapter 2

Yellow Pearl would never admit it, but the argument proposed by the Defense Zircon at the trial of Rose Quartz – _Steven_ , she reminded herself – had caused her to start wondering herself just what had happened the day that Pink Diamond was shattered. The issue of her Pearl's whereabouts had naturally been especially troubling, and despite how much she didn't want to believe a word Bismuth told her about what had really happened, she couldn't deny that it filled in all those holes quite neatly.

Beside her, Blue Pearl was showing far more emotion than she could recall ever seeing before, trembling so much that she seemed about to tunnel through the ground. And while she prided herself on being able to maintain more decorum, she was just as disturbed. "Her Diamond told her to rebel, and be as unlike a Pearl as it's possible to be."

Bismuth replied, "I just found out myself recently, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

Yellow Pearl opened her mouth, but then stopped what she was going to say. Instead, she said after thinking it over a bit longer, "I don't know what I would have done. It's beyond anything I've had to comprehend in my millennia of existence."

Much to her surprise, Blue Pearl suddenly spoke up. "If I had the chance, I think I would have done it."

Both Yellow Pearl and Bismuth turned to her with goggle-eyed expressions. She went on, "It would be what my Diamond wanted, after all." And was Yellow Pearl imagining a slight ironic edge to those words?

She put both hands on Blue Pearl's shoulders. "Really think about what you're saying. Our entire purpose is to serve our owners. We were never meant to do any fighting. Where would you even start?"

The surprises continued as Blue Pearl brushed a hand through her hair, the better to look Yellow Pearl right in the eyes. "I suppose the same place that Pink Diamond's Pearl did."

The conversation was interrupted by a gout of laughter. Yellow Pearl sighed, having almost forgotten that Bismuth was there in the shock of her counterpart's words. The huge Gem petered out and said, "Somehow, I don't doubt it. Even by the time I came along, Pearl wasn't nearly as sure about what she was doing as you seem to be."

Blue Pearl smiled at that, a quite disconcerting sight from someone who'd only glanced at the floor with a dour expression as long as Yellow Pearl had known her. "I was there when the Garnet fusion first formed. Until that day I'd never questioned anything about my purpose in life, but the Sapphire speaking so calmly about her form being destroyed, and Blue Diamond not seeming to care, made me start. I've never said anything about it because she would shatter me for these kinds of thoughts." And then came a quite disconcerting laugh to rival Bismuth's. "Oh my stars, that feels so good!"

Yellow Pearl backed away from her. "I can't believe what I'm hearing! You've been having traitorous thoughts all this time?"

Bismuth stepped in front of her with a stern expression. "Hey, keep in mind everything I just told you. The rebel leader was a Diamond too, so how can you say either side were traitors?"

Yellow stammered for a bit, and ended up with, "I don't know any of it was true! All I know is my Diamond is still out there, and I'm going to serve my purpose however I can!" With that, she ran down the steps and away across the beach.

Blue Pearl started to go after her, but Bismuth placed a hand on her shoulder. "If there's one thing I've learned from recent events, it's that you can't force someone to agree with you. She has the information, and now it's up to her what to do with it."

Blue Pearl sighed. "I hope she makes the right decision. I've actually grown quite fond of her, in her own way." She smiled again at another thought she hadn't dared voice for thousands of years.

Bismuth said, "In the meantime, why don't you give me some help fixing this place up? It's about time you found out what else you can really do."


End file.
